Detroit Auto Show: Maserati Quattroporte “Collezione Cento”
Usually ‘exclusive’ and ‘Maserati’ mean the same thing, but that’s not enough for Maserati, because at Detroit, they’ve presented the Maserati Quattroporte ‘Collezione Cento’, a 100 units limited edition. Here is a part of the press release:
To kick start 2008, Maserati has brought its flagship saloon in a super-deluxe incarnation to Detroit — the Quattroporte ‘Collezione Cento’ — of which just 100 will be produced: comfort, technology, and luxury all rolled into one; dressed for the occasion in a sophisticated Italian outfit — in a brand-new ivory colour, with a contrasting coach line on the sides that enhances the sinuous lines of the Quattroporte. 20’ wheels are fitted with polished rims, adding the perfect touch of sophistication and elegance. The chromed honeycomb front and side grilles also bring out the executive nature of this flagship saloon.
The interior is no less spectacular. Everything exudes luxury, from the Poltrona Frau ‘Cuoio’ coloured leather seats with diamond-shaped stitching and matching buttons in the centre, to the polished Wengé wood inserts on the steering wheel, centre console and small object compartment. The mother of pearl inlays are a true delight, adding an unusual gleam to the name of the vehicle and the trident on the gear knob. Cuoio coloured leather is also used for the superior-weight overmats, enhanced by edges in contrasting Beige. The interior’s concept was exclusively presented to Maserati customers at last year’s Frankfurt Motorshow; the ‘Collezione Cento’ has been developed on the basis of their feedback and comments.
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(Via Auto Unleashed.)
Spy Shots: entry-level Maserati sportscar
To the untrained eye, this might look like the Maserati GranTurismo. It's wearing no camouflage to tip it off as a test mule, but if you look closely, you'll notice that it's a fair bit shorter than the expansive GT we already know. The roof is clearly fixed, ruling this out as the anticipated convertible version of the GranTurismo. Sources suggest instead that this is a developmental version of the 911-fighting new sportscar that Maserati CEO Roberto Ronchi recently alluded to.
Maserati insisted all along that the GranTurismo was not a replacement for the Coupe/Spyder/GranSport range, and indeed the two models ran alongside each other for a short while before the aging model was discontinued. Although Ronchi claimed his company had yet to decide definitively over which new model would join the Trident marque's line-up, these spy shots could indicate otherwise. Whether the new model takes styling cues, however, from the upcoming Chicane concept remains to be seen.
(Via Autoblog.)
Geneva '08 Preview: IED Maserarti Chicane concept
Any regular reader of Autoblog should know that the major automakers aren't the only ones unveiling striking new concept cars. In fact, independent designers tend to create even more exciting concepts than the big boys. All the more so for design students who give us a preview of what the future holds for creative automotive design. This year the graduate students at the Instituto Europeo di Design (we'll let you decipher the translation yourself) are coming to Geneva with a full-size concept Maserati.
The Chicane concept you see above is a take on what the anticipated upcoming entry-level Maserati sports coupe could look like. Like the GranTurismo, the Chicane is a 2+2 with a front-mounted V8 driving the rear wheels, but while it retains certain Maserati design elements, the IED students have done away with some of the elegance of the GranTurismo in favor of more sportiness: at 4.4 meters long, it's some 400mm shorter than the Pininfarina-designed GT, and it ditches the chrome for a more menacing look. We particularly like the recessed headlights.
(Via Autoblog.)
